FERMENTED FEEDS...anyone using them?

[ChickenCanoe]

How early is too early to start chicks (4wks) on fermented whole grains???

Everyone has their own management routine. I'm going to be starting future chicks on FF starter feed at day 2 or 3.

Fermented whole grains is a different story. Personally, I wouldn't do whole grains for chicks till at least 8 weeks and even then, a small percentage of the total intake.
Growing birds need higher complete proteins than whole grains can provide. Starter/grower feeds are formulated with the appropriate levels of vitamins, macro and trace minerals as well as protein. Many of those things are missing in grain alone.

 

[Beekissed]

How early is too early to start chicks (4wks) on fermented whole grains???

As long as they have access to grit, they can do just fine on it. The first year I tried this I started mixing in whole grains at around 2 wks of age on meat chicks and it was 50% of the ration~oats, wheat, BOSS, etc.. The meat chicks I'm feeding right now have 75% chick starter, 25% layer mash that has a lot of whole oats and large pieces of cracked corn in it. They are not even a week old.

I wouldn't use wheat as it just doesn't ferment down into any form of softness~even my meat birds would leave it behind~ but steamed barley, crimped oats, etc. can be used at just about any age with enough time in the ferment to soften the husk.

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Just be sure to offer plenty of grit if they don't also free range.

I was told not to offer grit the first week or so (feeding starter - FF) so the chicks don't fill up on it and get a blocked crop. Should I offer small amounts of it instead of none?

My chicks are coming next week.

 

[Tikkijane]

How early is too early to start chicks (4wks) on fermented whole grains???

I start day 1.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

As long as they have access to grit, they can do just fine on it. The first year I tried this I started mixing in whole grains at around 2 wks of age on meat chicks and it was 50% of the ration~oats, wheat, BOSS, etc.. The meat chicks I'm feeding right now have 75% chick starter, 25% layer mash that has a lot of whole oats and large pieces of cracked corn in it. They are not even a week old.

I wouldn't use wheat as it just doesn't ferment down into any form of softness~even my meat birds would leave it behind~ but steamed barley, crimped oats, etc. can be used at just about any age with enough time in the ferment to soften the husk.

BK, I've read that about wheat before, but haven't yet started adding any whole grains to my FF mixture. Do you know if you were using the higher-protein, harder wheat ... or the softer wheat. What grows here is the softer wheat ...

I'd love it if there was more texture to the FF I'm brewing.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I was told not to offer grit the first week or so (feeding starter - FF) so the chicks don't fill up on it and get a blocked crop. Should I offer small amounts of it instead of none?

My chicks are coming next week.

You can sprinkle a little grit on top of their food until they are a bit more sensible about what they eat.

Here is a great little PDF about poultry grit ...

http://www.tccmaterials.com/pdf/CSpoultrygritdata.pdf

Whenever I put chick grit out, the big kids come and snarf it down. I know it goes right through them, but for some reason they LOVE it.

I'm contemplating putting a little chick feeding station in the coop ... surrounded by wire that will let the chicks through but keep the big birds out. It will drive broodymommas nuts, but may help me keep the big birds out of the feed for the babies. Right now I do have a little platform the babies can go under, and that works pretty well, but only when the babies are small.

 

[Beekissed]

I was told not to offer grit the first week or so (feeding starter - FF) so the chicks don't fill up on it and get a blocked crop. Should I offer small amounts of it instead of none?

My chicks are coming next week.

Don't know who told you that...as long as they have feed available they won't be eating grit. An easy way to provide grit to young chicks and also start building their immune system is to place a clump of the soils, on which they will eventually be living, in the brooder so they can form antibodies to the microorganisms in the existing soil culture of your coop/pen/pasture. They will pick out tiny pieces of grit for themselves and also start building a stronger immune system.

The size of grit a chick uses is so very tiny...like grains of sand or smaller...so no need to offer regular chicken grit.

In the first two weeks of life is when their bodies can best build antibodies~just like any baby creature, ourselves included~ but not as successfully later on, when folks normally put the birds out on the soils. This is one reason broody hatches are so much more healthy than those we brood ourselves.

Here's a pic of the last batch of meaties out on free range for the first time at 2-3 wks of age....and also diving into a large pan of soil/gravel/wood ashes for dusting and for grit...they were like sharks at a feeding frenzy!

 

[Ms Jellybean]

You can sprinkle a little grit on top of their food until they are a bit more sensible about what they eat.

Here is a great little PDF about poultry grit ...

http://www.tccmaterials.com/pdf/CSpoultrygritdata.pdf

Whenever I put chick grit out, the big kids come and snarf it down. I know it goes right through them, but for some reason they LOVE it.

I'm contemplating putting a little chick feeding station in the coop ... surrounded by wire that will let the chicks through but keep the big birds out. It will drive broodymommas nuts, but may help me keep the big birds out of the feed for the babies. Right now I do have a little platform the babies can go under, and that works pretty well, but only when the babies are small.

Oh, good idea. I will sprinkle some at every feeding.

At what age does a chick(en) become sensible?

 

[Ms Jellybean]

Don't know who told you that...as long as they have feed available they won't be eating grit. An easy way to provide grit to young chicks and also start building their immune system is to place a clump of the soils, on which they will eventually be living, in the brooder so they can form antibodies to the microorganisms in the existing soil culture of your coop/pen/pasture. They will pick out tiny pieces of grit for themselves and also start building a stronger immune system.

The size of grit a chick uses is so very tiny...like grains of sand or smaller...so no need to offer regular chicken grit.

In the first two weeks of life is when their bodies can best build antibodies~just like any baby creature, ourselves included~ but not as successfully later on, when folks normally put the birds out on the soils. This is one reason broody hatches are so much more healthy than those we brood ourselves.

Here's a pic of the last batch of meaties out on free range for the first time at 2-3 wks of age....and also diving into a large pan of soil/gravel/wood ashes for dusting and for grit...they were like sharks at a feeding frenzy!

They are so adorable!

I have chick grit. The same person said I should wait on the grass clump (with roots and dirt) for a couple weeks too. They said it was better to let their immunities develop more first. What you said makes sense. I will add the grass/dirt clump from day 1. My soil is more clay than anything, so I should probably add grit too.

So glad I asked this here.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Oh, good idea. I will sprinkle some at every feeding.

At what age does a chick(en) become sensible?

Ha! You got me!